Engine starter



E. C. PHILLIPS ENGINE STARTER Oct. 3, 1933.

Filed Aug. 12, 1951 15 anisms are subject.

Patented Oct. 3, 1933 warm ENGINE STARTER Elwood Phillips, Evanston, 111.

Application August 12, 1931. Serial No. 556,574

9 Claims.

My invention relates to an improved enginestarting mechanism of. the type in which the starting motor is automatically connected in driving relation to the engine by the rotation of [J the starting motor and automatically disconnected upon the functioningof the engine.

One of the objects of my invention is to simplify starting mechanisms of this type to the extent that only a single moving part is involved in the structure forconnecting and disconnecting the starting motor with relation to the engine and thereby to eliminate a multiplicity of moving parts likely to be broken or damaged under the usual operating conditions to which such mech- Other objects of theinvention appear hereinafter. x Y Y This and-other objects of the invention which appear hereinafter are accomplished by a structure in which the motor-operated pinion is connected in driving relation with and disconnected from the engine by a bodily movement which is the resultant of component radial and axial movements relative to theengine ring gear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is alongitudinal sectional view of a starter structure embodying my invention and illustrating the parts in disconnected relation to the engine; 1 I I Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the parts in connected relation to the engine;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the pinion carrier illustrating the manner of forming the thread followers; I

Fig. 4 is a detail'section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view of the driving pinion;

Fig. 6 is a section through the pinion and carrier illustrating the manner of assembling these 0 parts; and

Fig. 7 is a view partly in section of one end portion of the pinion carrier illustrating a modified structure. i 1

In the structure shown in the drawing, the member 1 represents the flywheel of an internal combustion engine of any type adapted for start- 5 ing by means of an automatic motor starter. This flywheel has the usual ring gear 2 thereon provided for engagement by the starter pinion. The starter motor 3 is representative of the usual type of electricmotor adapted to be electrically connected with a source of power by the usual starter switch. p g

The starter mechanism used in connection with automobile engines is usually positioned above motor is provided with a relatively long shaft 6 Whiclris parallel with the axis of the engine crank shaft and which extends from the motor bearingl considerably beyond the ring gear.

The motor shaft carries a sleeve A which extends the entire length of the projecting portion of the shaft and is fastened to the shaft at itsouter end. The outer end of the sleeve has an enlarged cylindrical head 8 which is surrounded by a collar 9 and both members are detachably connected to the shaft by means of a tapered pin 10 extending through the collar, head and shaft, thus locking the sleeve to the shaft. The inner end 11 of the sleeve is cylindrically enlarged and rotates in a bearing formed by the socket 12 in the end 7 of the motor frame.

The driving pinion 4 is rigidly secured to the inner end'of a tubular carrier member B which surrounds the motor shaft and sleeve A, and which may be formed integrally with the pinion, although from a manufacturing standpoint it is' preferably made as a separate piece, and the pinion'is made as a separate piece formed as a ring which is fitted over the end of the tube, The pinion is provided with a' plurality of notches 13 and the end of the tubular carrier is upset to form tongues 14 engaging these notches, thus permanently assembling the carrier and pinion. The pinion and its tubular carrier, constituting a single moving part, is shiftable longitudinally of the motor shaft as one of its component movements to bring the pinion into and out of engagement with the teeth of the engine ring gear 2. This longitudinal shifting movement is accomplished by a cylindrical enlargement 15 formed integrally with the sleeve A and provided in its periphery with a steep lead groove or channel 16 spiraled like a thread groove and about a turn and a quarter long.

The groove is engaged by two correspondingly angled teeth or projections 17 formed in opposite sides of the wall of the tubular carrier. The teeth may be formed in any suitable manner for the purpose. They are preferably each of an appreciable arcuate length to provide substantial engagement with the spiral groove 16. They are preferably formed, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, by slotting the wall of the tubular carrier on parallel lines 18 and then, by means of a suitable die, offsetting inwardly the strip of metal between the slots. This leaves the end portions 18 of said metal strip integral with the tube wall and the body of the strip arcuately curved to conform to the arc of the groove 16.

When the motorshaft is started in rotation, it will rotate relatively to the tubular pinion carrier and by virtue of the spiral groove 16 and the interengaging teeth 17 it will force the pinion carrier longitudinally of the shaft until the pinion end of said carrier engages the shoulder 19 formed by the enlarged end 11 of the sleeve A, whereupon the pinion carrier will be stopped from further longitudinal movement and will be rotated with the motor shaft. In this position, shown in Fig. 2, the driving pinion will be in substantially the same plane as the ring gear and in mesh therewith.

The meshing and de-meshing of the pinion with respect to the ring gear, however, is the resultant of said longitudinal movement of the pinion with respect to the shaft and a radial movement of the pinion with respect to the ring gear. The radial movement is accomplished by arranging the relative diameters of the pinion carrier and the sleeve A, so that the pinion carrier and its pinion can have an eccentric movement with relation to the axis of the shaft and by providing means whereby the pinion will be forced into concentric relation to said shaft as it reaches its position in driving relation to the ring gear. The latter movement is accomplished by providing the sleeve A with an angular concentric cylindrical portion 20 adjacent the shoulder 19 and by providing a ring collar 21 in the end of the pinion carrier having an internal diameter substantially that of the portion 20.

The sleeve A adjacent the portion 20 is reduced in diameter, as indicated at 22, and a coneshaped surface or annular cam surface 23 extends from this reduced portion 22 to. the diameter of the portion 20. Thus, when the pinion is shifted longitudinally, as hereinbefore described, the ring collar 21 engages the cam portion 23 which guides the collar onto the cylindrical portion 20 and brings the pinion into concentric relation with the drive shaft. This imparts a radial movement to the pinion which brings its teeth into meshing engagement with the teeth of the ringgear.

Upon the functioning of the engine by starting, .the greater speed of the ring gear causes a relatively reverse rotation of the pinion and motor shaft, and by virtue of the spiral groove the pinion carrier and pinion are shifted longitudinally in thereverse direction on the motor shaft. As soon as the ring collar 21 leaves the portion 29, the pinion carrier is then free toassume an eccentric position and the pinion is thus radially thrown out of mesh with the ring gear.

Since the enlargement 15 of the sleeve A is intermediate the ends of the pinion carrier, it serves as a sort of fulcrum about which the pinion carrier B can function in its eccentric movement. These parts are made relatively sufliciently loose to permit this fulcruming movement and at the same time maintain the teeth 17 in constant engagement with the steep lead groove 16. In order to urge the pinion carrier and pinion normallyinto its eccentric position with its longitudinal axis at an angletothe axis pinion carrier into the eccentric position.

of the shaft when the mechanism is in idle condition, as shown in Fig. 1, I provide a flat spring member 25 having one end supported by the motor and having its other end 26 turned downwardly and curved to bear on the outer end of the pinion carrier. A groove 27 is provided in the pinion carrier to form a seat for said curved end of the spring. The spring thus yieldingly urges the pinion carrier into its normal eccentric position, but itsaction is overcome, of course, when the carrier is shifted longitudinally of the motor shaft. The same results may be accom- ,plished by weighting the outer end 28 of the pinion carrier, as indicated in the modification in Fig. '7, so that gravity will operate to urge the In either case, the end of the pinion carrier is formed with an internal'bead-ZQ which cooperates with a slight shoulder 30 formed on the sleeve A adjacent its outer end to provide a seat for the bead 29 to hold the pinion carrier in a definite position. ,The surfaces of these parts are so formed that they will hold the pinion carrier firmly against accidental longitudinal movement on the shaft, but this action isreadily .overcome by the positive shifting of the pinion carrier when the motor shaft is operated.

It will thus be seen that the starterstructuie embodying :my invention involves only one moving part, namely: the pinion carrier and its pinion, 'for connecting'the pinion in driving relation to and disconnecting it'from the engine gear, thus reducing to a minimum any possibility of jamming, and eliminating springs and similar parts likely to be broken.

While the drawing illustrates a structure capable of carrying out the principles of my invention, it is obvious that changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and operation of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I contemplatesuch changes as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

, l. The combination of an enginehaving agear member, a shaft member, a tubular member on the shaft .movable longitudinally ,of the shaft and in a radial direction with-respect to said gear member, a pinion on said tubular member, and means associated with said shaft andoperable upon the relative rotation thereof for bodily shifting thetubular member radially and longitudinaly of the shaft to .mesh and de-mesh the pinion with respect to said gear.

2. In a mechanicalmovement of the character described, the combination of a rotary member having a lead :groove, a pinion carrier on said rotary member in-engagement with said groove and adapted to ,be shifted axially of said rotary member upon the relative rotation of the rotary member and pinioncarrier, said pinion carrier being also fulcrumed on said rotary member to swing into and out of axial relation thereto, a pinion on said pinion carrier, and meansfor actuating said pinion carrier during its axial movement for shifting the pinion into or out of concentric relation to the axis of the rotary member.

3. In an engine starter of the class described, the combination of a motor having an extended shaft, a tubular pinion carrier surrounding the of the shaft, a cam on the shaft operable to shift the tubular member into concentric relation with the shaft during its axial movement, and a pinion mounted on said pinion carrier and movable therewith. I i

4. In an engine starter of the class described, the combinationof a starting motor having an extended shaft, a sleeve keyed to the shaft having anenlarged portion with a steep lead spiral groove in the periphery thereof, a tubular member movable about said enlarged portion as a fulcrum and having means engaging the spiral groove for shifting the tubular member axially of the shaft upon the relative rotation of said shaft and tubular member, a pinion carried by said tubular member and a concentric cam operable upon the axial movement of said tubular member for swinging the tubular member about its fulcrum into and out of concentric relation to the shaft.

5. In an engine starter of the character described, the combination of a starting motor having a shaft, means forming a spiral cam groove on the shaft, and a tubular member surrounding the shaft and having an integral portion of its wall offset inwardly for engagement with said cam groove.

6. In an engine starter, the combination with a gear member, a driving shaft, a pinion adapted to be shifted into or out of mesh with said gear, a memberconnected with said shaft and mounted thereon to swing into or out of axial alignment therewith, said member carrying said pinion, means normally holding said member with its axis in angular relation to the axis of the shaft, and means operable upon the rotation of the shaft for swinging said member into axial. alignment with the shaft to mesh the pinion with the gear.

7. In a drive mechanism, the combination with a gear to be driven, a drive shaft having an enlargement, a tubular member surrounding the shaft and mounted upon said enlargement as a fulcrum, means normally holding said tubular member in axially angular relation to the axis of the shaft, means operable upon the rotation of the shaft for shifting said member longitudinally of the shaft and radially into axial concentricity with the shaft, and a pinion carried at one end of the tubular member and adapted to be shifted into or out of mesh with the said gear.

8. In a drive mechanism, the combination with l said gear.

9. The combination of an engine having a gear member associated therewith, a starting motor having a shaft, a movable tubularpinion carrier fulcrumed on said shaft with its axis normally at an angle to the axis of the shaft, a pinion on said carrier, and means operable upon the rotation of the shaft for swinging the tubular member on its fulcrum into axial alignment with the axis of the shaft to shift the pinion into meshing engagement with said gear member.

ELWOOD C. PHILLIPS. 

